Designer Dish
Stepping up to the oxygen machine: Celebrity-loved facial now available inHouston
Intraceutricals treatment shot
Justin Timberlake swears by it.Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Intraceuticals' Rejuvenate productsPhoto by Jason Reekie
Daily Serum by Intraceuticals
Back in 2007, I was invited to a swanky suite at the St. Regis hotel to try Madonna’s secret weapon for looking ageless and magazine worthy. The aesthetician unveiled an oxygen facial machine and I had blissful time, appreciating the wonder that is CO2.
Flash forward four years and the exclusive facial has come to the masses at Spa Nordstrom. The latest evolution is the Intraceuticals Infusion facial, a multi-step, painless and completely relaxing facial that creates results immediately.
I’ve had the great fortune of experiencing many a beauty product or treatment over the years, so I tend to approach each one with a healthy sense of skepticism. The pitch of the Intraceutical Infusion is that through intense hydration the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles fade away and skin gets tighter and firmer. The serums penetrate the skin through pressurized oxygen during the facial, plumping up the skin.
My dermatologist and I are on a first name basis, so skin is definitely a priority, which means I’m open to trying things in the name of better looking skin.
Spa Nordstrom’s second floor location is nice and discreet, so you can slip in and out post-treatment without being seen. This is especially helpful after things like facials because not only are you fresh-faced and with potentially wacky hair, but also slightly dazed and confused. Or maybe that’s just me.
Once settled into a treatment room, the aesthetician cleaned my face using a Clarisonic brush and the Intraceutical gel, a lightweight cleanser. That combination alone gave my face an instant glow and honestly, I was just happy with that. After a quick look on the mirror, I slipped back into the treatment bed and the aesthetician began the oxygen facial, using an Intraceuticals serum and the therapeutic-grade oxygen.
The aesthetician targets one side of the face first, running the oxygen tube over problem areas. It’s not unpleasant at all especially when imagining my parched skin sucking up the Hylauraonic acid, a hydrating substance that naturally occurs in the skin.
After finishing one side of my face, I popped up again and was wowed. My skin was full, imperfections were few and best of all, I felt great. She finished with the left side of my face and I had lost every bit of bitterness I had ever experienced at the hands of lofty beauty promises.
Of course, this Intraceuticals Infusion facial is noninvasive, which means, nothing lasts forever. My face retained the glow and plump appearance for a good four days later and Intraceuticals suggests an initial treatment course of eight facials and then a monthly follow-up facial to maintain the effects. The Spa Nordstrom facials are $195 for the hour-long treatment and the aesthetician said the results can have a cumulative result, but for this writer, that’s a luxury on the wish list.
The products are affordable and I was so enamored with just the Clarisonic brush and the cleansing gel that I now use the gel ($39) and am hooked.
The Intraceuticals Infusion facial is ideal for women of all ages who want to bump up their beauty game with a high impact, quick result treatment. I can see it in a reunion arsenal or on a bridal to-do list.
Considering the oppressive Houston heat (and despite the humidity) it also would be a nice skin refresher. Besides, Madonna still raves about it, Jennifer Lopez is on board and Justin Timberlake said it made his skin look dope. How's that for an endorsement?
